Japan coach Eddie Jones stands head and shoulders above every other coach when it comes to post-match press conference performances at the Rugby World Cup.

He expresses himself well by gesturing with his hands, while he makes his points using interesting language. For example, he used a great analogy when he was asked what his team’s chances were of making the quarter-finals after Japan lost to Scotland. He said: “Hopefully the game between South Africa and Samoa at the weekend will be like a UFC fight. I hope they just belt each other up.” That would give his team a better chance of beating Samoa. Most coaches would say something far less interesting like: "I hope Samoa have a tough game against South Africa." But Jones livens it up, makes it interesting and gives media great sound bites to use.

The other World Cup coaches look stiff and emotionless. Even the ones that had good victories talked as if they had lost. There’s no smiling and the language is very mundane. It’s not very exciting to watch.

Jones is a breath of fresh air. He even uses comedy well, as he did above. Another example of this was when he was asked about life after the World Cup. He said: "If we make the quarter finals, I can relax like Clive Woodward. Sit on the side-lines and criticise others. That’s my dream.”

Sporting coaches have an important role in growing the popularity of their sports. Most don’t appear to enjoy their media responsibilities. That’s understandable, but it’s now an inevitable part of their jobs. By learning the necessary media skills and practicing them, they’d do wonders to the popularity of their sports. Eddie Jones is a great example to follow.

Pete is a leading New Zealand media trainer and regular blogger for his company, Media Training NZ . He has helped leaders from all sectors of society communicate with the media and other stakeholders. Pete is a former daily newspaper reporter and press secretary in the New Zealand government. From these roles, he understands the media process from both sides of the camera.